Discussion: Four Phases of Withdrawal-Where Are You?

[[so...]]

Awww, Deejay, thank you.  I am a woman by the way.  You have to say my username a few times to hear what it says.  Ha!

 

Love you, Sofa

[[so...]]

Remy,

 

Phase Two was long for me too.

 

Sofa

[[gi...]]

feels like I am stuck in phase 2 for 30 months? this really blows, please let me go now

[[so...]]

Gibson,

 

Phase two lasted over a year for me.  You probably have a foot in 2 and one in 3.  You are always moving forward.

 

Sofa

[[no...]]

I loved reading this,

 

I am happy to say I am firmly stage 4, just a couple of little annoyances left.

 

 

Very well written Sofa, I have always enjoyed reading your posts.

 

Nomne

 

 

[[Sv...]]

Phase 2 at 42 months off. Damn this is taking long

[[so...]]

Nomne,

 

I read your blog every time you post.  I am cheering your victory over the beast.  You suffered long and hard and you are in the healing meadow.  Way to go!

 

Sofa

[[so...]]

Sven,

 

You will keep slogging forward, my friend, at the snail's pace we seem to be trudging.  It's okay.  We will make it to Nomne's paradise soon.

 

Sofa

[[Ce...]]

I can finally discern which phase(s) I'm in....between phases two and three. Not bad for only a little over 3 months out! I'm really optimistic at this point. I know what the definition of a window is, not sure what the true definition is of a wave, though. Am just assuming it means the sxs flare up. Maybe I'll go to the board with a question on that.....thanks sofa....love your posts!

 

~CeCe   

[[so...]]

Thanks, CeCe,

 

Keep moving forward!  Never give up.  We don't have to.  This ends.

 

Sofa

[[Ch...]]

27 months off my last drug and still in phase 1. Neverending!

[[il...]]

Sofa did you feel like you were finished with this when you first entered phase 3? Is that how good 3 feels? Looking back, that was all phase 2, I just kept improving and got confused. Just as I was losing my grip on this process leading up to just a few days ago, thanks to mental sxs, they've been leaving/getting better day after day for 4 days now. Hell, if I didn't know any better I'd say I'm soon done, but I know I'm not. I know my system is still sensitive and I'm positive I'll still get food flare ups. My AM anxiety is a small fraction of what it was. My mind wonders safely, for the most part. I feel like I can jump into writing again. And you know the difference between a window and a new baseline. I don't know what to think of this?! I'd appreciate it! You're the most educated person I've come to personally know about this, so please lend me your insight/thoughts! I'd appreciate it!

[[so...]]

Never,

 

I think you are moving along in this process just as you should.  Phase 3 is definitely not without symptoms.  It's just that in Phase 3, you can see a correlation between flare ups and regular crummy WD.  At least that has been my experience.  Unfortunately, this recovery is so slow and the improvements are so subtle that we can't attach to the fact that we are getting better.

 

At 22.5 months out, my days are more moderate, the symptoms are dampening down, but I'm still waking up with the same dread and crapola, just not jumping out of bed at 4am like a jack-in-the-box.  I'm reminded every day that this all eventually leaves.  We all heal.  The cortisol calms down and things start to come into balance.  That is what we are all waiting for.  It will happen.  We will end up with a peace within us and we won't be thinking about this stuff anymore.  You will get there.  Just keep hanging in, doing the time...we need to put in the time, that's all.

 

Sofa

[[so...]]

Chaffinch,

 

Although you feel you are still in Phase 1 at 27 months out, that's impossible.  It would mean that you have made absolutely no progress in 27 months off the drugs.  You may still feel unwell, as we all do, but you are definitely healing.  Try to focus on the things that have improved, rather than on the symptoms you still have.  This is a very long journey. 

 

Sofa

[[ld...]]

Sofa

 

    I am approaching 8 months out. I liked your response to Never. We all have a lot in common here. You guys are further out than me as I am approaching 8 months out. Mornings are the worst for me too. Maybe most of us deal with the toxic mornings, never really thought of it. The mornings are definitely the nightmare, toughest fight in my life. But it's just good to know that we are not alone as we can lean on each other during a tough spell. 

 

 

      ldm27

[[so...]]

Idm,

 

First, I want to thank you for your uplifting posts on this forum.  I read what you post often and I want you to know how positive I think you are.

 

Yes, everyone's worst part of the day is the dreadful early morning because 1) our cortisol levels are at their highest and, in withdrawal, that is SKY high and 2) we have been sleeping and haven't eaten for hours, so our blood sugar is at its lowest.  As soon as I get up at 5am (it used to be 3am, then went to 4am, so I guess I'm improving after 22.5 months of this crap!), I choke down a hardboiled egg and a handful of raw almonds with a cup of coffee to pull up my blood sugar.  It works after about 30 minutes.  Just a suggestion.  You don't have to do the coffee, of course, and mine is just half a cup with mostly milk.  It's the egg (perfect protein) and the almonds that pull up the blood sugar slowly.

 

There are a few people whose cortisol rhythm is the opposite.  These sundowners have it rough, as the normal rise and fall of cortisol in all human beings is the way the majority of people are.  These people are up all night and sleep during the daytime.  Regardless of how everyone's cortisol rises and falls, it all eventually balances out to normal levels and we don't wake with dread and anxiety.

 

Congrats on feeling better Idm.

 

Sofa

 

 

[[Ch...]]

Chaffinch,

 

Although you feel you are still in Phase 1 at 27 months out, that's impossible.  It would mean that you have made absolutely no progress in 27 months off the drugs.  You may still feel unwell, as we all do, but you are definitely healing.  Try to focus on the things that have improved, rather than on the symptoms you still have.  This is a very long journey. 

 

Sofa

 

Hi Sofa

 

Sorry..I really thought I'd posted this in the protracted section rather than here. This was linked from somewhere else. It wasn't meant to go here so massive apologies if I've frightened anyone.

 

Sofa, we were friends on surviving antidepressants and on there you always said I was very positive and encouraging and was getting through this with grace. You often wrote to me saying you loved my replies to people and you asked me to support you and encourage you. I always told you it would get better,that there was a finishing line and you just couldn't see it yet. I sent you success stories. You said I'd helped you. I was always trying to help and encourage on there, tell people this had an end, which it does and be positive. I always played down what I was going through as I didn't want to bring people down. I've done so much on my journey to help myself and to heal in the best way,programs, affirmations, diets, you name it. I think you know this.

 

On the whole I'm positive and determined. But like EVERYONE, I'm allowed to be negative sometimes. I helped you when you were scared.

 

I tried to private message you but after writing a long message, the message wouldn't go through so I've written here instead. I want to 'clear my name'. I've written my message to you on the protracted board under the 4 stages of recovery.

 

I'm glad you're starting to recover and get great windows. That's really good news. I always told you you would.

 

I also wanted to say that not everyone recovers in the same way. Some go through phases, some have waves and windows, some are linear and others are terrible all through with no windows and heal overnight with no phases. So straight from phase 1 to completely healed. That happens a lot.

 

Anyway, I wish you well and didn't want to bring negativity into your thread. Im just hurt.

[[Fl...]]

Anyway, I wish you well and didn't want to bring negativity into your thread. Im just hurt.

 

You have every right to feel hurt. It's bad enough to have to deal with a serious, debilitating illness for months or years on end, but to have people in the support community tell you "that's impossible" is invalidating. This is no different than a doctor or anyone else telling someone that it is impossible to have withdrawal symptoms beyond 30 days. Doctors and the general public have an excuse for promoting this kind of ignorance. People who have been through this do not.

 

Keep in mind that this post is one persons THEORY and OPINION. To my knowledge she is not a doctor or otherwise an expert in the field. Take these "phases" and any commentary with a grain of salt.

 

 

[[Ce...]]

Anyway, I wish you well and didn't want to bring negativity into your thread. Im just hurt.

 

You have every right to feel hurt. It's bad enough to have to deal with a serious, debilitating illness for months or years on end, but to have people in the support community tell you "that's impossible" is invalidating. This is no different than a doctor or anyone else telling someone that it is impossible to have withdrawal symptoms beyond 30 days. Doctors and the general public have an excuse for promoting this kind of ignorance. People who have been through this do not.

 

Keep in mind that this post is one persons THEORY and OPINION. To my knowledge she is not a doctor or otherwise an expert in the field. Take these "phases" and any commentary with a grain of salt.

 

Hey, Chaffinch.

 

I just quoted the above, because it goes for me, too. You've done nothing wrong here.   

 

 

[[Va...]]

IDM and Sofa,

 

I'm almost at 14 months.  My mornings are now smooth with no "rush" of cog fog.  My mind has been working at this since June until now.  I noticed the lift has taken place even more the past 2 weeks.  Other symptoms now are the muscle tension that is damping down in my forearms and calves, and then the GI nerves going on after I eat.    I hope this goes away soon.  I'm almost at the point of reinstating a PPI but realizing it is nerve pain.  Maybe I'll hold off on adding the PPI until I really make sure it's not needed. I also have 2 good nights of 7 hours of sleep and then a night of 3 hours of sleep (because the muscle and nerve pain wakes me up).  And intermittent tinnitus. 

 

I guess what I wanted to say is that I believe the morning cog fog is going away.  And I hope for good.  A long process.

 

I have limited my diet so much that I need to add back some things to eat because I'm so hunger and losing too much weight.  I thought it all relates to the symptoms but really am not to sure about that.  I drank some milk this morning with no problems.  I think I'll add that back in.

 

I'm still in Phase 3. 

 

Fast healing for all!

 

Val

 

 

[[po...]]

Chaffinch,

 

Although you feel you are still in Phase 1 at 27 months out, that's impossible.  It would mean that you have made absolutely no progress in 27 months off the drugs.  You may still feel unwell, as we all do, but you are definitely healing.  Try to focus on the things that have improved, rather than on the symptoms you still have.  This is a very long journey. 

 

Sofa

 

IT is only too possible, i was in "Stage 1' for 15 years...

[[so...]]

Polenta,

 

I'm sorry your journey has taken so long and I hope you see daylight soon.

 

Sofa

[[po...]]

Thanks sofa, i have seen daylight, but then I came off caffeine….

[[Ca...]]

Stage 2..... horrific

[[Re...]]

Stage 2..... horrific

 

It is very horrific. Like bieng aWake in a nightmare you cannot control and having to relieve the nightmare day after day. It reminds me of some scary novel someone might write. " They took the pill the voodoo doctor gave them... Little did they know the hell that would come with it when stopping the pill.." " a story of never ending mental insanity ". There is no escaping " dumm dumm dummmmm